UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- With the end of the regular season on Sunday, the Penn State men's soccer team is taking time to honor its senior class at Jeffrey Field. The team will be graduating seven Nittany Lions, and they each will be honored at the conclusion of their final home game, against Rutgers.
Head coach Jeff Cook only got the opportunity to work with this senior class for one year, but he could not be more thankful for their help in his transition to Penn State.
"When I came it, it could've been easy for them to say 'Well we did it this way' or 'We did it that way'," coach Cook said. "It's typical and almost easier to resist change than to say okay this is something new let's go with it and see where it takes us. I really appreciate their open-mindedness and the way they've been examples for the younger guys."
Seniors Mitchel Bringolf, Mac Curran, Ryan Gallagher, Brennan Ireland, Travis Keil, Austin Maloney and Noah Pilato will play in their last regular season match for the Blue and White, but will look to continue their legacy during the Big Ten Tournament. Coach Cook said he feels they still have a legacy to leave before the end of the season is written.
"The ability to focus game by game and to set high standards are one of the things we really tried to emphasize," Cook said. "That what you do in practice and day-to-day environment drives the type of performance you're going to have on game day. They've been excellent in that, even when the results didn't go our way."
Pilato, a redshirt senior, saw action in 31 games prior to his senior season and all 15 games this season. On Oct. 23 the midfielder netted his first career goal against Maryland. Despite the team coming up short in double overtime in that match, 3-2. Pilato said that goal was one of his best memories at Penn State.
"I got to celebrate," Pilato said. "I ran over to my brother and my family who were in the stands so it was a cool moment to have a big goal to get us in a game that at some point we maybe were not in being down 2-0 before Molloy scored."
Pilato said the senior class is not only close on the field, but especially close off of it. He explained from freshman year to now he's seen the senior class change a lot through the weight room, on the field, and in the classroom.
Of this group the team will lose three defenders, three midfielders, and one forward. Coach Cook said they will lose more than just players, but they will lose some of their big personalities and leaders.
"There are some good guys in that group," Cook said. "Mitch and Dani are known as the grandfathers of the team. Then you have a guy like Mac Curran who didn't get as much playing time early as he wanted and he's come on and been really affective. Brennan Ireland was our huge contributor for SAAB and him and Ryan Gallagher have that sharp sense of humor."
No matter how they contributed on the field, this group will be looking to go out on a high note. The Nittany Lions are 12-8-0 against the Scarlet Knights all-time, and looking to get a win to end the season and honor the senior class.
"We have full confidence going into the game with Rutgers for senior day," captain Aaron Molloy said. "Especially for those boys. We want to do it for them."